American to Soon Offer Lie-Flat Seats on All International Wide-Body Flights

American Airlines said it was in the final stages of installing fully lie-flat seats in all of its Boeing 777-200 aircraft following numerous delays in the project. The conversion involves removing the Flagship Suite seats in the aircraft’s first-class cabin as well as the “Next Generation” business-class angled lie-flat seats and installing fully lie-flat seats in a larger business-class cabin.

“We are in the final stages of the conversion of our 777-200 and having lie flat seats for all of our international wide-body service,” said Robert Isom, the airline’s COO, during its fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday, adding that it was a “very exciting” development.

The process of installing the new seats was slowed down substantially in 2015. In September of that year, American announced it would find a new supplier for its lie-flat business-class seats after its supplier, Zodiac Aerospace, couldn’t supply the quantity it had contracted for. The airline ultimately chose the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seat for future 777-200 conversions.

The airline expects to complete the conversion in the second quarter of 2017.

Delta Air Lines completed the installation of fully lie-flat seats on its international wide-body fleet back in 2014.

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